​SES Read to be Ready Summer Camp


by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
Read to be Ready isn’t “summer school” insisted director Barbara King, who for the second year will head up the four-week summer program at Sewanee Elementary School. “We want it to feel more like a camp,” King insisted. “We want kids to discover reading is fun.”
The themes of the program—nature, farm, science and sports—find expression in the books volunteers read to the children during breakfast and lunch and in the hands-on activities children engage in. This year’s campers will make tie-dye T-shirts, birdhouses, and seed planters, and go on field trips to Falls Mill, the University Farm, and Abbo’s Alley.
Activities in the literacy component of the program include reading aloud and shared reading, writing workshops, journaling, readers’ theater, and taking weekly field trips to the Franklin County Library and May Justus Memorial Library in Monteagle. Children will also visit duPont Library at the University of the South.
All children participating in the program receive 10-15 free books to keep, King said. Geared to rising first through third graders, SES teachers recommend students for the programs based on need.
Tennessee established the Read to be Ready program in 2016. Test results showed less than half of third graders read at grade level and only one-third of economically disadvantaged third graders had achieved proficiency. These children were four times less likely to graduate from high school.
A $1 million gift from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation financed the three-year program. SES first grade teacher Barbara King learned about the Ready to be Ready grant opportunity in a newsletter from Commissioner of Education Candice McQueen.
It was King’s first grant writing experience, and she confessed it was hard work, but well worth it. The children loved the program, King said. “They were always eager to come back the next day and so excited to get the books.”
Inspired, King not only applied for a 2018 Read to be Ready grant for SES; she led a grant writing workshop for the other Franklin County elementary schools. Seven of the eight schools participated, and all seven applied for and received 2018 Read to be Ready funding.
In 2017, Decherd Elementary was the only other Franklin County school besides SES to offer the program. This year, Sewanee children’s book author Mary Priestley will present a book writing workshop at Decherd Elementary in conjunction with a PEN Foundation opportunity, and King hopes to include a field trip to Priestley’s workshop as part of the SES Read to be Ready experience.
Grant funding pays for field trip transportation, while the University of the South provides breakfast and lunch through the Summer Food Services Program of the South Cumberland Community Fund.
The 5-to-1 student teacher ratio allows for lots of special attention, King noted, with four SES teachers leading the instructional groups.
At breakfast and lunch, volunteers read aloud for 15-30 minutes. King welcomes anyone who would like to read. She also encourages community members interested in leading a hands-on activity to contact her. This year, in conjunction with the science theme, volunteer Sarah Rundle will present a program on Sewanee area rocks and minerals.
King extended thanks to the Blue Chair for ice-cream rewards for the first week of perfect attendance. King hopes to find other area businesses to donate attendance prizes for the other three weeks of the program.
Children receive a pre- and post-assessment to gauge changes in reading comprehension and vocabulary and a separate assessment to gauge changes in reading interest.
“We want children to develop a joy for and love of reading,” King stressed, that’s what the program is all about. To volunteer, contact King at barbara.king@fcstn.net.
2024 March
2024 February
2024 January
2023 December
2023 November
2023 October
2023 September
2023 August
2023 July
2023 June
2023 May
2023 April
2023 March
2023 February
2023 January
2022 December
2022 November
2022 October
2022 September
2022 August
2022 July
2022 June
2022 May
2022 April
2022 March
2022 February
2022 January
2021 December
2021 November
2021 October
2021 September
2021 August
2021 July
2021 June
2021 May
2021 April
2021 March
2021 February
2021 January
2020 December
2020 November
2020 October
2020 September
2020 August
2020 July
2020 June
2020 May
2020 April
2020 March
2020 February
2020 January
2019 December
2019 November
2019 October
2019 September
2019 August
2019 July
2019 June
2019 May
2019 April
2019 March
2019 February
2019 January
2018 December
2018 November
2018 October
2018 September
2018 August
2018 July
2018 June
2018 May
2018 April
2018 March
2018 February
2018 January
2017 December
2017 November
2017 October
2017 September
2017 August
2017 July
2017 June
2017 May
2017 April
2017 March
2017 February
2017 January
2016 December
2016 November
2016 October
2016 September
2016 August
2016 July
2016 June
2016 May
2016 April
2016 March
2016 February
2016 January
2015 December
2015 November
2015 October
2015 September
2015 August
2015 July
2015 June
2015 May
2015 April
2015 March
2015 February
2015 January
2014 December
2014 November
2014 October
2014 September
2014 August
2014 July
2014 June
2014 May
2014 April
2014 March
2014 February
2014 January
2013 December
2013 November
2013 October
2013 September
2013 August
2013 July
2013 June
2013 May
2013 April
2013 March
2013 February
2013 January
2012 December
2012 November
2012 October
2012 September
2012 August
2012 July
2012 June
2012 May
2012 April
2012 March
2012 February
2012 January
2011 December
2011 November
2011 October
2011 September
2011 August
2011 July
2011 June
2011 May
2011 April
2011 March
2011 February
2011 January
2010 December
2010 November
2010 October
2010 September
2010 August
2010 July
2010 June
2010 May